Curious Old Coots Contend with Cairo

The second to the last day of our tour dawned on a rainy day in Cairo.  The travel literature says that February is the most likely season to have rain, and our experience certainly confirmed that prediction.  The temperature was in the low 60's, and the traffic put us in nearly continuous stop and go mode.  I spent a good part of the day perfecting my reading of Arabic license plates.  It will be interesting to see how long this new-found expertise stays accessible to  me.

The pictures from the day are of poor quality due to lighting issues and photography restrictions in virtually every place we visited.  But, here are a few worth sharing.

Early rainy morning view from my room in the Fairmont Nile

I really hadn't anticipated our first destination.  Travel fatigue, I suppose, but I quickly became engaged and delighted.  We invaded the old Christian section of Cairo with churches dating back to the fourth century A.D.  I was immediately struck with the venerable antiquity of these congregations, and reminded of the dominant role Egyptian Christianity played in the early history of the church, something which is easily overlooked by our Roman/western perspective and historical proximity.

Directory to Ancient Churches in Cairo

 The feeling as we entered this complex of buildings and institutions was of entering a closed and secluded world, as perhaps befits a minority community.  I could not help but wonder if this rabbit-warren type configuration was a result of early persecution under the Romans, or a reaction to the incursion of Islam at  later date.  Under either circumstance, the sense of entering a special, perhaps a sacred space was undeniable.

Just an interesting shot inside the Christian complex

The first church we visited was dedicated to the Holy Family and at its rear, displayed through  Plexiglas flooring a cave like grotto in which the Holy Family was purported to have stayed during their sojourn in Egypt.  Unfortunately, again, there were no pictures allowed.  As might be expected, the iconography highlights the church's dedication.

Relief marking the entrance to Holy Family Church

Coptic Christianity has elaborated the Holy Family's stay in Egypt to an extent unexplored in the western Church, and maybe in the Orthodox traditions as well.  I was fascinated by this "map" of the Holy Family's travels in Egypt, and I hope in the coming days and months to investigate this tradition more fully.  This map will have to be my starting point.

The Holy Family itinerary?

The second church we visited was the fourth century Church of St. Sergius, called the hanging church, due to construction techniques used at the time of its building.

Information plaque for the Hanging Church

The Hanging Church

The inside of the church is beautifully decorated in the worn "orthodox" style that befits its age and use.  No pictures allowed, of course, but our timing was excellent because we were able to witness a part of a Coptic mass with a good number of the faithful in attendance.  Whether this was appreciated by other members our tour group or not, I cannot say, but I was gratified to have had even this limited exposure to Coptic liturgy and piety.

Shrine to the Virgin Mary - Church of St. Sergius

Our next stop was in the old Muslim section of Cairo where there are a number of mosques dating from the 8th and 9th century.   We visited a huge one that allowed pictures, but had little to photograph, being stark and unadorned in the fashion of its time.

Mosque interior

Central ablution station (no longer in use)

Perhaps one of the more memorable impressions from this stop was the police presence, insuring that tourists did not venture into the surrounding neighborhood(s).  We spent an hour or so at the Cairo bazaar.  Mohamed had discouraged much shopping on this trip because, he said, most of the things that were available for sale were not Egyptian but Chinese in origin, and for the most part he seemed to be correct.  The one exception, I believe, was the Cairo bazaar which teamed with beautiful and riveting displays in every shop.  Covering several blocks, it seemed more diverse in its offerings than other bazaars I'd seen in the Middle East.  And, there were plenty of things to temp this shopper, had I been able to figure out a way to get it back to Chicago.  Thankfully, good sense prevailed and I left, empty handed, as did most of our contingent.

After a nice lunch in a rather exotic restaurant which was too dark to photograph, we made our way through Cairo traffic back to the hotel.  Along the way we passed the famous Tahrir Square, where Egyptians effectively  protested the government of Mubarck in 2011, and then his replacement Morsi in 2013.  It was obviously a more peaceful time under the present regime.  During the course of the trip, we heard comments both supporting and criticizing the Sisi military oversight, and, people seemed free to speak freely, which says something in itself.

Tahrir Square on an ordinary, rainy day

After a brief rest, we were off to the Egyptian Museum.  This is the famous collection of Egyptian artifacts from the last five of six millennia.   No pictures, allowed!

The Egyptian Museum

The number of arresting displays contained in this building is incomprehensible.  Once again, our time was so brief that the most thorough knowledge we obtained was what we were missing.  Mummies, sarcophagi, jewelry, tools, weapons, statuary, carvings, more than can be assimilated in an afternoon or in a lifetime.  It is no wonder that Egyptology has so many sub-specialties!  I saw again the treasures of King Tut, last see by me at the Field Museum sometime in the earl 1960s, and treasures from many other less famous tombs which nevertheless carry high archaeology value.  I took interest in the Mummies of Ramses II, whom I'm sure would be horrified to know that he has become a tourist spectacle, and of Hatshepsut (maybe) whom the placard stated was chronically obese and had bad teeth.  How's that for a memorial epithet?